Some Lusaka residents are fearing that the perennial floods in the Central Business District of the capital city will significantly affect the flow of business at the posh Hilton Garden City Inn which is set to open in March.
Hilton Worldwide will open its first hotel in Lusaka in March 2017 under the Hilton Garden Inn brand.
The Hilton Garden Inn has 148 rooms and will feature a business centre, free Internet access, an outdoor pool, fitness centre and garden lounge and bar.
The Hotel is located specifically on the corner of Cairo Road and Chiparamba Road at the Society Business Park, an iconic 20-story building.
But some residents interviewed on Monday feared that the floods which usually engulf areas in the CBD such as Cairo Road where the new hotel is situated will frustrate business at the new facility.
The said coupled with traffic and human congestion caused mainly by street vending, the hotel will find it difficult to attract a certain kind of clientele.
Peter Banda, a student at ZCAS said most businesses are deserting the CBD due to issues of floods and congestion and wondered how Hilton Hotel will change that trend.
Another resident, Mary Mofya felt the investors could have could have been picked a different location adding that town centre is filthy.
Ndela Sichizya posted on Facebook that “My concern is the surroundings of this beautiful investment. Cairo road and its walk ways are filthy and all disordeliness in full force.
We will have international travellers book into this hotel only to be greeted by such scenes. While our brothers need jobs, can we do it in a more orderly and sustainable way that can complement investments like this and help us sell our country better.”
Collins Chiti, a Taxi driver who operates from Inter City also observed that the location of the Hotel which is 35-minute drive from the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is another drawback.
“Most travellers especially international travelers will miss their flights due to failure to negotiate their way out of the traffic from CBD. Look at Protea Cairo Road, nothing happens there, the place is almost dead and now you want to bring Hilton, it won’t work,” he said.
But Adrian Kurre, Global Head of the Hilton Garden Inn brand, said: “the introduction of Hilton Garden Inn in Zambia marks a new chapter in the brand’s evolving global portfolio. We are delighted to help meet the growing local demand for affordable, quality accommodation in Zambia’s capital city.”
Mr Kurre said Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka City Centre will form part of an integrated, mixed-use development alongside corporate and government offices in the heart of the central business district.
He said the new hotel will be joining the Hilton Portfolio of brand but is not yet accepting reservations.
Floods can easly be dealt with if the authorities are willing. And as for the vendors we need to find space to accommodate them within the cbd. We can build mixed use structures that have room for a car garage, vending stalls, shops, offices and perhaps housing on the top floors. i see that in the US.
That picture is NOT Hilton Garden Inn Lusaka.
The report is deficient in grammar and content.
Content: you are describing the concerns of residents regarding the setting of the hotel,, particularly vending congestion and flooding. Then when you use BUT… one would expect that the next statement will counter those concerns and explain how they will deal with them. Alas, the journalist is talking about expansion plans by Hilton hotel, their growing global portfolio…a different angle altogether.
But these PF, this commercial will not help them?
Who posted this article…LT you sleeping again this marketing fees you missing out on!!
My God , Nairobi , Harare ,Dar es Salaam all make Lusaka look like a huge village with hawkers in the CBD and little growth in terms of world class structures.
Imagine putting up a 400 million dollar investment pa chishala LCC u are sleeping
Zoona it’s 2017, floods and cholera is still around in Lusaka, all the the useless GRZs since independence have failed to fix this. Sucks zambia
absolutely grand idea however Government has done Zero in clearing the Vendors and Chiparamba Road access is riddled with Car Dealers from a 3 lane road access to one Lane the city is filthy, what does GRZ think it’s doing and what does the MD of Society House think of this scenario he seems to be flying high yet the original plans for the area and city have never been implemented another failure for the PF. No control over cleanliness just enjoy in your lavish private dwelling places and keep on drinking.
Papito you talking like you are asleep these plans you speak off have never been implemented how many years has this been going on are they scared of loosing votes for 2021 you’ve seen what in the US yet you think that Zambia has been asleep seriously Papito do this yourself and clean up the mess.
What do you call having cholera ,hawkers ,trash heaps and floods/ponds of water in Lusaka year after year? Its insanity to do the same failures for decades.
This is where dictatorship works and can b appreacited…..clear out all temp structures eg tutemba.. Use ZA, ZNS and ZP Recruits or prisoners to clear street by street every night from 22:00 to 06:00 for a month……..
Why is it that ECL does NOT have the willingness to clear Town of the undesirable vendors? What kind of a person is this who drives pleasure in this decadency? These streets used to be clean during KK’s days. Now everybody is a law unto themselves with the blessings of plot 1. In just one day those streets can change back to their normal days if he could just say so. People are very industrious. They’ll find alternative places to use. Where were they before? People should not be treated with kid gloves, they take advantage & mock you.
The whole zed nipa chishala fye
Terrible reporting; actually it’s filthy reporting just as the Lusaka CBD itself. (Wrong picture, wrong caption, wrong year of opening). DAMN! Where was the reporter rushing to?
I actually thought i was reading old news but asked myself how come i have never head of this hotel if it were opened in March 2017.
Zambia/Lusaka has been flooding since the 1920s…
So it’s our city fathers that are just failing to come up with solutions. So instead of criticising, let’s come up with solutions that can work… 🙂
Mxiiiiiiiiiiii
He He He!
You run the place down to absolutely 0 value!! Put it up for sale and the new owners will re-develop it and have their own rules.
PS: Did not sèe any street vendors at Easts Mall and other new malls!!! I guess the Chinese are very patient business people.